By Cecily Asson Monday, September 10 2012

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The pitbull bites into the neck of Stranger....

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A male pitbull was brutally chopped to death by a fish vendor yesterday morning after it stormed an open yard in Couva and viciously mauled the family’s pet pompek that was chained to a post under a shed in the yard. The pitbull which was also clobbered to the head with a baseball bat that broke during the beating died about one hour after. It bled to death. The body of the dead dog which bore multiple chop wounds, remained there for more than four hours before police arrived and advised the homeowners to dispose of the carcass.

Meantime, the injured pompek was also covered in blood and wincing in pain. The pompek has since been “hospitalised”.

The dog was one of two pitbulls that entered the yard of the home of Nixon Bissoon, 40, and his wife Runa Ali, 32 at Trotman Road, McBean Village, Couva. At the time of the incident, the couple’s son Brandon Kissoon, 14, was cleaning his fish aquarium located close to where the pompek named “Stranger” was tied. Brandon and his younger siblings Kyle, 10, and six-year-old Alexandra along with cousin Nikki Ramjit, 17, who were also outside had to scamper for safety when the two dogs entered the yard and attacked the pet animal. When they raised an alarm, two cousins who live nearby came and tried to chase away the dogs but they turned on them and they too had to run, Newsday was told.

Brandon told Newsday the other pitbull ran off into some nearby bushes when his father began chopping the pitbull that was attacking the family’s pet dog.

Members of the Trinidad and Tobago Canine Advocate (TTCA) who were called by police officers arrived on the scene after midday yesterday, and eventually captured the other pitbull which was seen roaming the area.

It is believed that the dogs which residents told Newsday were seen roaming the area for the past week, were abandoned by their owners.

Brandon in recalling what happened explained that at about 9.30 am yesterday, he was under the shed tending to his fish when he observed the two pitbulls enter the yard.

He said, “I observed two dogs walking in the road. I was emptying my fish tank and as soon as I put the fish there and I was throwing the chlorine in the water, I see these two big dogs coming in the yard and I run inside because I wasn’t standing there again. We watch them and I call my parents and tell them what was taking place.” While inside Brandon opened the window and captured images of the dog ravaging his dog.

In expressing their regrets at yesterday’s outcome, Brandon’s parents told Newsday they were faced with no other choice but to kill the dog. Runa Ali then pleaded, “Owners take care of your animals. Do not abandon them. If you can no longer take care of them, put them to sleep because these innocent animals are getting killed for nothing because of your (owners) stupidity. Imagine I don’t even hit my animals, I get vex with anybody for doing that, you know how I feel this morning for a dog to get chop and beaten in my yard.”

Runa Ali said she is now forced to foot the medical bill for her dog as she does not know who owns the dangerous pitbull.

“It costing me $1,500 and we are not sure if it will live. Piece of the flesh were ripped out from under the left leg. He has a hole in the leg and several big bites all over,” she cried.

The couple were in the supermarket in Couva when they received a call from their son Brandon telling them about the two pitbulls in the yard.

Runa Ali explained: “We inquired about their safety and they said they were locked in the house. We arrived home to see the pitbull biting into Stranger’s neck and wouldn’t let go. So my husband come out the van and grab his cutlass which he uses in his trade and began hitting the dog.”

She said he tried to avoid chopping it at first but the dog refused to drop the smaller animal.

“He continuously hit it till he get fed up and that is when he started chopping him. He still wouldn’t let go and not until he get the baseball bat and hit it twice in the head, he dropped Stranger to the ground. He had already bitten him all over his leg and was just holding on to Stranger by the neck and wouldn’t let go.”

But Runa said she was unhappy with the response from police officers at the Couva and Freeport Police Stations, yesterday.

“Since 9.30 am I calling police. I even call E999 and no response,” she told Newsday as she showed evidence of the calls on her cell phone.

“My dog is in the hospital but it could have been my children instead,” she continued.

“It real hurting me what happen here today, but my husband had no other choice but to do what he did, we were in danger. He was very brave to confront the animal which just kept biting away at the dog and would not let go. “

Yesterday as a Newsday team tried to leave the area, we had to turn back as the dog was still roaming an empty piece of land near the main road. The team had to be driven out onto the main road. Many residents and students attending Sunday morning lessons in Trotman Road, had to remain inside for several hours until the dog was held. Following the capture of the surviving pitbull at about 1.45 pm yesterday, President of TTCA Jean Claude Al-Jamayel said he will be seeking a shelter for the dog.

He told Newsday, “The dog ran into a large plot of land with grass about six feet high. We caught it by throwing a fish net on it. I am going to organise a home for it now.

Nobody has come forward, from our investigations, the dogs were loose for a week, so it seems that they may have been abandoned.

“I want to say that TTCA still remains committed to ensuring public safety and that we want to reiterate responsible ownership so that incidents like these abandonment would not occur. We look forward to working with the government for the implementation of holistic legislation.

The laws which were to be implemented by Parliament are being reviewed.

Commenting on the chopping to death of the animal Al-Jamayel said while it was sad, the owner was protecting his premises and family.

“It is irresponsible ownership that led to this, the abandonment of the dog.

It only started happening when government spoke of the legislation with nothing in place. Right now all the animal welfare places are filled and we get a lot of calls to come and assist with abandoned dogs.”

Police visited and spoke with the family and are continuing investigations.